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Sunday, December 11, 2016
In yet another example of the friendliness of Vietnam folk - we were flagged off the street by the fellow in the red shirt for "free beer" at the annual Hanoi Beer Festival which had closed just an hour earlier. Skeptical, we followed him to the littered fair grounds and behold - were awarded with friendly locals abound and a giant case full of the promised FREE beer!
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Everything we think we need for the next 6months. @ospreypacks @gregorypacks @cotopaxi
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#NoFOMO
Bill and I (mostly Bill - okay all Bill - he's the one who has a pen and paper and often sits down to hash out his thoughts through writing) took some time over the last few weeks to consider what we were hoping to get out of this trip.
People invariably ask me - "Oh your work let you take 6 months off?!" or "So with all your medical training will you be doing Doctors Without Borders?" The implication is that we should continue to be functional members of US society and that quitting our jobs and traveling without a plan is illogical. That a 6 month hiatus "just for fun" doesn't really make sense. Well, maybe not. But then again in our mind there are other worthwhile goals that have nothing to do with professional development that we're hoping to hone in on.
So we (Bill) jotted down some goals that we hope to accomplish while we travel.
Goal: NoFOMO*
Again, well-meaning folks will note that we are briefly traveling to Vietnam and say something like: "You'll be so close to Cambodia, are you going to Cambodia? You'll regret it if you don't go to Siem Reap!"
Will we? Will we regret our trip if we don't do that one thing? No. Firstly, we are not going to Cambodia. And secondly, with our NoFOMO philosophy we plan to minimize planning and making so-called "bucket lists" of things that we *must* see. By minimizing advanced planning, we can best take advantage of the bounty and stories and people that are directly in front of us without having a nagging thought in the back of our minds that there might be other places and people we must see. We plan to enjoy whatever experience presents itself to us and strive to eliminate guilt and angst about seeing and doing things that we *should* do.
*For the non-millenial readers: FOMO = Fear Of Missing Out. I'm sure urban dictionary will have a fabulous definition.
Goal: Practice Husbanding and Wifeing
A huge part of this trip is to spend a lot of time together - just us. We already know we're going to get sick of each other and get annoyed with each other (good luck spending 24/7 for 6 months with someone and not). That's a given. So we will plan to take this time to preemptively avoid excessive "periods of annoyance" shall we say by taking time for ourselves, initiating conversations and practicing being OK when the other person says " I need a break from you." We'll have to inadvertently practice self assurance at the same time. This ones going to be hard.
Goal: Spontaneity
Goes with the first goal really nicely. Like lamb and tuna fish. When Bill and I were courting each other we went on a bike trip and made a pact to jump into every body of water that we saw along the way. Let me just say that there were way more bodies of water than I had ever considered. We were wet most of the trip. The moral though was that we were both willing to be deliriously spontaneous in support of each other. So if Bill wants to stop at all the local coffee shops, then we'll do it. If I insist on stopping at all the LoTR filming sites - fine we'll do it. We'll support each other's whimsicality whenever we can.
Goal: Safety First, Sexy Second
Life goal. Always. Remember people, we have plans.
We also reserve the right to change our goals as our trip evolves and look forward to influences from others on where our heads and hearts should be.
We leave on a jet plane tonight! Bon Voyage. Next blog will be from Vietnam!!
People invariably ask me - "Oh your work let you take 6 months off?!" or "So with all your medical training will you be doing Doctors Without Borders?" The implication is that we should continue to be functional members of US society and that quitting our jobs and traveling without a plan is illogical. That a 6 month hiatus "just for fun" doesn't really make sense. Well, maybe not. But then again in our mind there are other worthwhile goals that have nothing to do with professional development that we're hoping to hone in on.
So we (Bill) jotted down some goals that we hope to accomplish while we travel.
Goal: NoFOMO*
Again, well-meaning folks will note that we are briefly traveling to Vietnam and say something like: "You'll be so close to Cambodia, are you going to Cambodia? You'll regret it if you don't go to Siem Reap!"
Will we? Will we regret our trip if we don't do that one thing? No. Firstly, we are not going to Cambodia. And secondly, with our NoFOMO philosophy we plan to minimize planning and making so-called "bucket lists" of things that we *must* see. By minimizing advanced planning, we can best take advantage of the bounty and stories and people that are directly in front of us without having a nagging thought in the back of our minds that there might be other places and people we must see. We plan to enjoy whatever experience presents itself to us and strive to eliminate guilt and angst about seeing and doing things that we *should* do.
*For the non-millenial readers: FOMO = Fear Of Missing Out. I'm sure urban dictionary will have a fabulous definition.
Goal: Practice Husbanding and Wifeing
A huge part of this trip is to spend a lot of time together - just us. We already know we're going to get sick of each other and get annoyed with each other (good luck spending 24/7 for 6 months with someone and not). That's a given. So we will plan to take this time to preemptively avoid excessive "periods of annoyance" shall we say by taking time for ourselves, initiating conversations and practicing being OK when the other person says " I need a break from you." We'll have to inadvertently practice self assurance at the same time. This ones going to be hard.
Goal: Spontaneity
Goes with the first goal really nicely. Like lamb and tuna fish. When Bill and I were courting each other we went on a bike trip and made a pact to jump into every body of water that we saw along the way. Let me just say that there were way more bodies of water than I had ever considered. We were wet most of the trip. The moral though was that we were both willing to be deliriously spontaneous in support of each other. So if Bill wants to stop at all the local coffee shops, then we'll do it. If I insist on stopping at all the LoTR filming sites - fine we'll do it. We'll support each other's whimsicality whenever we can.
Goal: Safety First, Sexy Second
Life goal. Always. Remember people, we have plans.
We also reserve the right to change our goals as our trip evolves and look forward to influences from others on where our heads and hearts should be.
We leave on a jet plane tonight! Bon Voyage. Next blog will be from Vietnam!!
Friday, December 2, 2016
Whattsappening?!
UPDATE: Our technologically intelligent friends (can't believe Marcy and Linda are our technologically intelligent friends) notified us that anyone with an iphone can just use iMessanger and/or facetime to contact us whenever we have wifi so yeah.. scratch the whatsapp if you already have an iphone.
---------------------
We figured out that maintaining our AT&T account with an international plan is completely unreasonable and will cost way too much money. So, like many international traveler she we will bring with us an iPhone but only use wifi signal to communicate. We'll primarily use the ap Whatsapp to send messages and to call so if you want to keep in touch get that app or just email us.
WhatsApp Messenger
I'm fully aware that this is the most boring entry ever. I promise it will get better. We are in the single digit count down until our flight to Hanoi.
We leave from LAX on Tuesday night (we'll technically Wednesday morning December 7). I've been preparing for this trip by hardly seeing or being around Bill at all so that our upcoming nonstop hang out sesh will seem welcome.
New post expected in the next few days about travel philosophy. Oh yes. Philosophy. #NoFOMO
---------------------
We figured out that maintaining our AT&T account with an international plan is completely unreasonable and will cost way too much money. So, like many international traveler she we will bring with us an iPhone but only use wifi signal to communicate. We'll primarily use the ap Whatsapp to send messages and to call so if you want to keep in touch get that app or just email us.
WhatsApp Messenger
I'm fully aware that this is the most boring entry ever. I promise it will get better. We are in the single digit count down until our flight to Hanoi.
We leave from LAX on Tuesday night (we'll technically Wednesday morning December 7). I've been preparing for this trip by hardly seeing or being around Bill at all so that our upcoming nonstop hang out sesh will seem welcome.
New post expected in the next few days about travel philosophy. Oh yes. Philosophy. #NoFOMO
Saturday, November 12, 2016
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